Tie down for wall board and the like



April 4, 1967 K. w. BRoLlNG 3,312,182

TIE DowN FOR WALL BOARD AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 30, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 'l E|TH w. BROLING ATORNEYS M @im April 4, 1967 K. w. BROLING 3,312,182

TIE DOWN FOR WALL BOARD AND THE LIKE INVENTOR KEITH W. BROLI NG ATTORNEY April 4 1967 K. w. BROLING TIEl DOWN FOR WALL BOARD AND THE LIKE 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Nov. 30, 1965 INVENTOR KEITH W. BROLING ATTORNEYS April 4, 1967 K. w. BROLING 3,312,182

TIE DOWN FOR WALL BOARD AND THE LIKE Filed Nov. 50, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR KEiTH W. BROLING l ATTORNEYS United States Patent 0 3,312,182 TlE DS1/VN EUR WALL BARD AND THE LIKE Keith W. Broiing, 18426 Clyde Road,

Homewood, Ill. 60430 Filed Nov. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 510,605 13 Claims. (Cl. 1105-369) This application is a continuation-in-part of my application Ser. No. 340,982, filed Ian. 29, 1964, now abancloned,

This invention relates to improvements in structures for anchoring loads to vehicles, such as flatcars and more particularly relates to an improved anchoring structure and system for anchoring flat material such as well board, plywood and the like to flatcars.

The present invention relates to an anchoring or tie down system for anchoring flat wall board to the deck of a atcar or truck in which the anchoring devices are covered during loading of the car to accommodate loading of the wall board on the car without interruption and in which the covers are in the form of hinged doors extending upwardly along opposite sides of the stacked wall board as the wall board is anchored to the car and holding the wall board from lateral shifting movement with respect to the car.

A principal object of the invention is to provide a tie down apparatus particularly adapted for tying down wall board or other flat stacked materials to the at deck of a flatcar and the like, arranged with a view toward accommodating ready loading of the car and protecting the load from damage and shifting with respect to the car when loaded.

Another object of the invention is to provide a simple and improved form of apparatus for anchoring stacked wall board to the dat decks of flatcars and the like, in which the anchoring devices are concealed'and out of the way when loading the car or when the car is empty and traveling from place to place, and in which the concealing means for the anchoring devices retains the load from lateral shifting movement, as the tie downs are raised to encompass and tie the stack down to the car.

Another object of the invention is `to provide an anchoring system for anchoring fiat wall board to the deck of a flat car or truck having individual anchoring devices for the tie down chains, recessed beneath the deck of the car in channel-like retainers covered by hinged doors over which the car can be loaded, in which the anchoring devices have interengagement with the channel-like retainers when in anchoring positions and are held in these positions by gravity locking means and are so arranged with relation to the doors that the anchoring chains attached thereto may be stored and the doors may be closed when the gravity locking means are in place in locking positions, to retain the anchoring devices in position, and when the gravity locking means are released as when it may be desired to change the positions of the anchoring devices along the channels.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved form of anchoring apparatus for tying down stacked wall board and the liketo the flat deck of a vehicle `by tie down members, such as chains and the like, in which retaining channels extend along each side of the vehicle and are recessed -beneath the deck of the vehicle and contain a series of vertically movable anchoring devices for the tie down members positionable in selected positions along the channels and movable upwardly into locked relation with respect to the retaining channels, and held from release from their locked positions by a simple form of gravity locking means, in which a series of side by side doors are hinged to the channels on the sides of the channels adjacent the wall board, and cover the channels when loading wall board onto the 3,312,182 Patented Apr. 4, 1967 car and when the car is n-ot in use, and are hinged upwardly along opposite side; of the wall iboard to retain the wall board from lateral movement and form a guide for the tie down members as the anchoring devices are brought upwardly into interlocked relation with -respect to the channels and into tie down relation with respect to the wall board, and in which the doors may be closed and the chains may be stored in the channels when the gravity locking means are in locked or release positions.

These and other objects of the present invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic view in side elevation of a flat car, showing a flatcar loaded with wall board and the like, and tied down to the flatcar by a tie down apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a tie down apparatus extending along one side of the flatcar and showing the tie down apparatus retracted and stored in the retaining channel for the anchoring devices; i

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken through a loaded freight car showing a tie down apparatus constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention recessed beneath the deck of the car, and showing a load of wall board tied to the deck of the car;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional view taken through a retaining channel for the anchoring devices and showing chain tension released from an anchoring device in a locked position;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view similar to FIGURE 4, but showing the gravity lock released and the anchoring device in position to be adjustably moved along its channel;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary plan view of an anchoring device with certain parts of a retaining channel broken away and shown in horizontal section; t

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view taken through a retaining channel, showing an anchoring device in raised anchored relation with respect to the channel;

FIGURE 8 is a transverse sectional'view taken substantially along line VIII-VIII of FIGURE 2, showing the anchoring chain and load protectors st-ored within a retaining channel; and

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged view in side elevation of a corner protector, showing the corner protector in its folded position by broken lines.

In th-e embodiment of the invention illustrated in the' drawings, I have shown in FIGURE 1 a vehicle 10, shown as being a atcar, but which also may be a trailer or truck having a flat deck.

The vehicle 10 has a fiat deck or oor 11, which is preferably made of wood and has retaining channels, 12, 12 recessed therein adjacent opposite sides thereof and extending between bulkheads 13, 13 at opposite ends of the car and retaining a load lof at wall board 15 or other flat material from longitudinal shiftable movement with respect to the car.

Each retaining or anchoring channel 12 has a at web 16, legs 17 extending upwardly of said web and retaining flanges 1S extending inwardly of said legs for retaining anchoring devices 19 to said channels. The retaining anges 18 closer to the inside of the car and the material being tied down, are provided with spaced slots 14 along the length of said flanges. The slots 14 cooperate with spaced lugs Z0 extending upwardly of a flange 21 spaced above the body of an anchoring device 18 and extending along the inner side of the anchoring device for engagement with the underside of an associated slotted ange18,

when the anchoring device is in an anchoring position. A flange 21a extends along the opposite side of an anchoring device 19 above the body thereof. The flanges 21 and 2141 both engage under the flanges 13, while the lugs 2) may be positioned in registry with the slots 14 to be moved vertically to said slots and hold the anchoring device in position, as tension is taken up on the flexible tie down, such as a chain 22, to raise the anchoring device into its locked tie down position.

As shown in FGURE l a plurality of anchoring devices 19 are mounted in `the channels 12 at suitable points ktherealong and cooperate with a plurality of aligned hinged doors 23 extending along the anchoring channels 12 for the length thereof in end to end relation with respect to each other and covering said channels when the anchoring devices are not in use and are stored in said channels.

Each hinged door 23 has a plurality of hinge pins 24 spaced along the rear `or inner side thereof beyond the inner side thereof and welded or otherwise secured thereto. The hinge pins 24 are pivotally mounted in straps 25 extending upwardly along a rear leg 17 of the anchoring channel 12 and welded thereto. The straps 25 exten-d above the hinge pins 24 and are each turned downwardly in an arcua-te path over said hinge pins to the top surface of an associated anchoring ange 18. The ends of the straps 25 engaging said anchoring ange may be welded thereto. 'v

Each door 23 has a brace 26 on the inner side thereof and extending for the length thereof. The brace 26 forms .a brace for the door when the door is hinged downwardly to cover the associated channel and forms a relatively unimpeded surface substantially Ilevel with the top of the deck 11, to accommodate wall board and the like to readily be loaded over said doors onto the flatcar. The brace, therefore, prevents distortion of the door when run over by trucks and the like. The doors 23 are hinged upwardly when the anchoring devices 19 are raised and tension is taken up Ion the tie down chains 22. In the upward positions of the doors 23, the braces 26 form guides and guards for the chains 22, as shown in FIGURE 4.

Each anchoring device 19 may be in the form of a casting or forging having a relatively hat body portion 19a with the flanges 21 and 21a extending along opposite sides of said Vbody portion and spaced thereabove, the lugs 2) being formed integrally with .and extending upwardly from the flange 21. The anchoring device also has a U-biolt 31 extending loosely through the top of the at body portion 19a and a compression disk 33, made from rubber or from one of the well known substitutes for rubber. The compression disk 33 is interposed between the bottom of the body portion 19u and a metallic disk or washer 32, through which the U-bolt extends. Nuts 34 threaded on the lower ends of the legs of the U-bolt 31 are provided to retain said U-bolt to the disk 32 yand compression disk 33, to form an anchoring connector for a tie down chain 22. The nuts 34 may be spot welded to the kmetallic disk 32. The U-bolt 31 has a loose enough ht with the anchoring device-and compression disk 33 to allow the U-bolt 31 to drop upon the release of tension on the tie down chain 22 and to thereby permit the cover or door 23 to be closed when the gravity locks 35 are in their locking positions.

Beneath the ange 21a are a pair `of spaced rounded runners 29 extending transversely of the [channel and slidably engageable with the top surface of the web 16 of the channel, when tension on the tie down chain 22 is released and it is desired to change the position of the anchoring device along the channel. The runners 29 also form rocking supports for the opposite end of the anchoring device from the lugs 20, 2G accommodating the anchoring device to pivot therea'bout upon the release of tension from the associated tie down chain 22.

Gravity locks 35 are pr-ovided to lock the anchoring device 19 in the elevated position shown in FIGURES 3, 4 and 7. The gravity locks 35 are mounte-d on opposite ends of a shaft 36 journalled in the end walls 30 of the anchoring device and extending forwardly and rearwardly of said end walls, and may be secured to said shaft. The gravity locks 35 depend from the shaft 36 and have ribs 37 extending upwardly of the bottom thereof for a portion of the length thereof and offset to one side ofthe axis -of the pivot pin 36. The ribs 37 form eccentric weights to effect pivotal movement of the gravity locks from the inoperative reclining position shown in FIGURE to the upright locking position shown in FIGURE 4.

The anchoring devices 19 may be manually positioned along the respective channel into a desired position and then may be raised to engage the lugs with the slots 14. During raising movement of the anchoring devices, the locks will move downwardly by gravity and hold the lugs 20 in registry with the slots 14 and maintain the 'anchoring devices .in position, until the gravity locks are released by hand.

A stop 39 projects from an end wall 3) of the anchoring device into position to be engaged by a gravity lock 35 to limit movement of the gravity locks 35 into positions where they will not return by gravity, to thereby maintain the gravity locks in position to pivot downwardly as the associated anchoring device is raised in its channel.

Referring now to FIGURE 3, diagrammatically showing in transverse section, a flatcar loaded with wall board or a like material, spaced planks or dunnage boards 40 are usually placed at intervals on the deck 11 to properly support various modular lengths and to allow the forks of a lift truck to fit therebetween to deposit a load thereon or to lift a load therefrom. The anchoring devices are then adiusted to the locations of the dunnage boards. Protecting sheets 41, 41 may extend upwardly of opposite sides of the dunnage boards 40 to the top of the stack of wall board and have a protective sheet 43 extending thereacross. The protective sheets or members 41, 41-may be imperfect or scrap wall board, or any other protective sheeting which will serve to protect the 'all board.

The doors or covers 23 are then hinged upwardly along the outer sides of the protective sheets of plywood or wall board and the tie down or anchoring chains 22 are removed from the channels 12 along with load protectors 45 threaded on said chains.

The load protectors 45 are each shown as being foldable to readily t within the channels 12 and as including a horizontal leg 46 extending along the top of a protective sheet 43 at the corner thereof and of sufficient width to firmly engage and hold the sheet and load in place upon the taking up of tension on the anchoring chains 22. The horizontal leg 46 has an eye 51 on the outer end thereof projecting lateraliy of the load, having an anchoring chain 22 trained therethrough. A vertical leg 52 of the load protector extends along the side of a protective sheet 41 and has a bifurcated upper end portion, furcations 53 of which extend at right angles to the body of the leg along the opposite outer sides of the horizontal leg 46 and are pivoted thereto as by a pivot pin 55.

In tying down a load, one anchoring chain 22 is con'- nected to one end of a turnbuckle 47 and extends through an eye 51 of the load protector 45, the turnbuckle retaining the load protector to said chain. The opposite anchoring chain 22 also extends through the eye 51 of a load protector 45 and has a ring 49 on its free end, which is usually the loose end of the chain, to prevent accidental loss of the load protector from the chain. A hook St on the free end of the turnbuckle 47 may be hooked to a selected link of the opposite anchoring chain. Assuming the anchoring -devices have been raised to register the lugs 26 with the slots 14 of the .inner anchoring ang'es 18 and the gravity locks 35 have dropped downwardly into position to prevent disengagement ofthe lugs 20 from the slots 14, upon the release of tension from the chains 22, the hook 50 on the free end of the turnbuckle. 47 may be hooked to the link of an opposite chain 22, with the,

load protectors 45 in position to protect the opposite top corners of the load from the chains 22. The turnbuckle 47 may then be turned to take up tension on the chains to the extent required to tie the load in position on the car and positively hold the load from sidewise movement with respect to the car. As tension is released from the associated chain 22, the U-bolt 31 may drop to the extent sufllcient to accommodate ready closing of the door 23 and accommodate loading or unloading trucks to readily ride over the door.

When, however, it is desired to change the location of the anchoring device, the gravity locks 35 on each side of the anchoring device may be released and the device may be adjustably moved along its channel on the runners 29 and the inner end portion of the device, engaging the top of the web of the channel.

It may be seen from FIGURE l that the anchoring devices may be placed along the car in any selected position and are all connected to tie down the load in the same manner. Where a door 23 is out of registry with an anchoring device the door may be closed, but each door in association with an anchoring device is pivoted upwardly to serve as a guard and a lateral retainer for the load as well as a guide for the associated chain 22.

It may also be understood that the anchoring devices 19 are adjustable longitudinally of the car to accommodate the tying down of varying lengths of board in a combination making up the shipment, and to provide ties where necessary to prevent damage to the board, which would occur by applying tie down pressure to the board between the dunnage boards 40, tending to bend the wall board.

It may still further be seen that the anchoring devices may be positioned to accommodate any combination of standard lengths of board and to allow a tie down slightly in from each end of the board with vintermediate ties to properly secure any combination of lengths of board on any desired form of flatbed vehicle.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the invention may be attained, it may readily be understood that various variations and modifications in the invention may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I yclaim as my invention:

1. In a :tie down system for tying wall board and the like to a vehicle having a flat deck,

an upwardly opening retaining channel extending alongv each side of: said deck and recessed therein and having a bottom web,

parallel spaced legs extending upwardly therefrom and inturned retaining flanges extending for the length of said legs,

a series of tie down anchoring devices mounted in said channels for adjustable movement therealong and for vertical movement with respect thereto, into primary anchoring positions in engagement with the bottoms of said flanges,

flexible tie downs attached to said tie down anchoring devices and adapted to extend over the load on the vehicle and bring said tie down anchoring devices into their primary anchoring positions in engagement with the bottoms of said flanges,

locking means between said :tie down anchoring devices and said flanges for holding said tie down anchoring devices in position in said channels,

a series of doors extending along said retaining channels in side by side relation with respect to each other for the length thereof,

means hinging said doors to said ret-aining channels along the inner sides of said channels and the outer sides of said deck,

said retaining channels forming storage spaces for said tiedown anchoring devices and the flexible tie downs attached thereto,

said doors being movable downwardly to cover said channels and to accommodate the loadingk of wall board thereover onto the flat deck of the vehicle, and being movable upwardly along opposite sides of the load to form a guide for the load on the inner sides of said doors, when in their upwardly pivoted positions, and to form guides for said flexible tie downs extending upwardly along the outer sides of said doors,

said doors being retained in their upward positions around the load by said flexible tie downs upon the taking up of tension in said flexible tie downs, :to retain the load against laterally shifting movement and to protect the load from said flexible tie downs.

2. The structure of claim 1,

wherein the doors have reinforcing braces extending within said channels when closed, and rein-forcing said doors to accommodate a truck to be moved thereover when said doors are in their closed positions, and said reinforcing braces being engaged by said flexible tie downs when under tension and pressing said doors into engagement with the load by the tension of said tie downs pressed against said reinforcing braces as tension is 4taken up on said tie downs.

3. The structure of claim 1,

wherein the flange of each retaining channelradjacent the side of the deck has inwardly opening slots spaced therealong,

wherein the tie down anchoring devices mounted in said channels each have a body portion having inner and outer flanges spaced above and extending to each side of said body portion for engagement with the undersides of said inturned retaining flanges of said channels,

wherein the inner flanges of said tie down anchoring devices have spaced lugs extending -upwardly therefrom for engagement with said slots upon upward movement of said tie down anchoring devices, to lock the tie down anchoring devices in position,

and wherein the locking means comprise locking devices pivoted to opposite ends of said tie down anchoring devices, closer to said lugs than to the outer of said flanges, to lock said lugs in engagement with said slots upon raising of said anchoring devices to engage said lugs with said slots, and forming pivotal abutments engageable with the webs of said channels upon the release of tension from said ilexible tie downs while said locking devices are in locking positions, to accommodate lowering of said tie down anchoring devices about said locking devices, without releasing said lugs from said slots, and to thereby accommodate storing of said tie down anchoring devices and the flexible tie downs attached thereto, and the closing of said doors over said channels.

4. The struct-ure of claim 1,

wherein one retaining flange of each channel has inwardly opening slots spaced therealong,

wherein each load anchoring device has spaced lugs projecting upwardly from one side thereof for engagement with said slots, v

wherein gravity locks are pivoted to opposite ends of said anchoring devices for locking said lugs in engagement with said slots upon the release of tension lfrom the flexible tie down devices,

and wherein said gravity locks are spaced above said bottom web of the associated channel when the flexible tie downs anchored thereto are under tension, distances sufllcient to accommodate the dropping of said anchoring devices into engagement with the bottom webs of said channels with said gravity locks in locking positions, and providing sufllcient space above said doors to accommodate closing of said doors'and storing of said flexible tie downs in said channels, without releasing said lugs fromsaid slots.

5. The structure of claim 1,

ry l

wherein one retaining flange of each channel has longitudinally spaced inwardly opening slots therein, wherein each anchoring device has a body portion and inner and outer flanges spaced above and extending along each side of said body portion for engagement With the undersides of said retaining flanges as tension is taken up on the flexible tie downs, wherein said inner flange has spaced lugs extending upwardly therefrom for engagement with said slots to lock the anchoring device in position, wherein gravity locks are freely pivoted to opposite ends of said anchoring device and drop by gravity to lock said lugs in engagement with said slots upon the raising of said anchoring device to engage said lugs with said slots, wherein the connectors for said flexible tie downs comprise a U-bolt extending through and slidably mounted in the body of each anchoring device with the bight of the bolt above said body, and wherein each U-bolt is movable downwardly along said body upon the release of tension from the flexible tie down to accommodate closing of the associated door and the storing of said flexible tie downs in said channels while said gravity locks are still in locking positions. 6. The structure of claim 5, wherein the U-bolts each have an upper bight portion and parallel legs depending therefrom and extending through said body and through an abutment member spaced beneath said body and secured to the lower ends of said legs, and wherein a resilient compression member is disposed between said labutment member and the underside of said body. 7. The structure of claim 1, wherein corner protectors are slidably mounted on the flexible tie downs, protecting the corners of the load from the flexible tie downs, wherein the corner protectors each have a horizontal lcg with a vertical leg pivoted thereto, to accommodate folding of the load protector when storing the load protector in said channel, and wherein the corner protectors each have an eye extending laterally from said horizontal leg within the extended vertical limits of said horizontal leg and having a flexible tie threaded therethrough said load protectors being foldable to generally fiat positions for storage in said channels. 8. The structure of claim 6, wherein the flexible tie downs are lengths of chain connected to the bight portions of said U-bolts and adapted to be trained along each side of and over a load and be connected together over the load, wherein a take up member is connected in one length of chain, and wherein foldable load protectors are threaded on said chains for protecting opposite corners of the load from said chains. 9. The structure of claim S, wherein the foldable load protectors each comprise a horizontal leg engageable with the top of the load and having .an eye extending laterally outwardly therefrom within the vertical limits of said horizontal leg and adapted to be threaded on a length of chain, and a vertical leg transversely pivoted to said horizontal leg and extending along the outside of the load and protecting the outside of the load from the length of chain, and wherein said load protectors are foldable to accommodate storing of the lengths of chain in said channels along with said load protectors and take ups upon the closing of the associated doors. 10. The structure of claim 9, wherein each door has a Ibrace extending along the outer side thereof when in an upright position and protecting the load from the length of chain and movable downwardly into the associated channel upon the release of tension from the associated chain and storing of the chains in said channels and rein forcing said doors to the extent suicient to accommodate a truck to `be driven thereover, for loading and unloading the car.

11. In a tie down system for tying wall board and the like to a vehicle having a flat deck,

an upwardly opening retaining channel extending along each side of said deck and recessed beneath the top thereof and having a bottom web, parallel spaced legs and inturned retaining flanges extending for the length of said legs,

the flange of each retaining channel adjacent the sidey of said deck having inwardly opening slots spaced therealong,

a series of load anchoring devices mounted in said channels for adjustable movement therealong and having a tie down chain secured thereto and extending upwardly therefrom,

each load anchoring device having a body portion and inner and outer flanges spaced above and extending to each side of said body portion for engagement with the undersides of said inturned retaining flanges of said channels, the inner of said flanges having spaced lugs extending upwardly therefrom for engagement with said slots upon upward movement -of said load anchoring device to lock the load anchoring device in position,

gravity locks freely pivoted to opposite ends of said load anchoring devices closer to said lugs than to the outer of said flanges, to drop by gravity and lock said lugs in engagement with said slots upon the raising of said anchoring devices to engage said lugs with said slots and forming a pivotal abutment engageable with the webs of said channels upon the release of tension from said chains while said gravity locks are still in locking positions to accommodate lowering of the opposite sides of said load anchoring devices and the storing of said exible tie down chains in said channels while said lugs remain in engagement with said slots,

and doors longitudinally pivoted to said channels along the tops of the inner legs thereof and movable downwardly over said channels when said tie downs are stored therein to accommodate loading vehicles to move thereover, said doors being movable up wardly along opposite sides of the load and retained in engagement with the load by said anchoring chains and protecting the load from said chains and forming guides for said chains extending along the outer sides of said doors.

12. The structure of claim 11, wherein the connectors for said chains comprise U-bolts extending through and slidably mounted in the bodies of the individual anchoring devices and having a bight portion disposed above each body,

and parallel legs depending therefrom and extending through said body and through an abutment member spaced beneath said body and secured to the lower ends of said lugs,

and wherein a resilient compression member is disposed between said abutment member and the underside of said body to cushion the take up loads on said chains.

13. The struc-ture of claim 11,

9 t wherein foldable load protectors are threaded on said chains for protecting the corners of the load from said chains, wherein the foldable load protectors each comprise a horizontal leg engageable with the top of the load and having an eye extending laterally outwardly therefrom within the extended vertical limits of said horizontal leg and threaded on a length of chain, and a Vertical leg transversely pivoted to said horizontal leg inwardly of said eye .and extending along the outside of the load and protecting the outside of the load from the length of chain, and wherein said load protectors are foldable flat to accommodate storing of the lengths of chain in said channels in addition to said load protectors and load anchoring devices upon the positioning of the associated doors to extend over said channels.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Packard 248-361 ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

DRAYTON E. HOFFMAN, Examiner. 

1. IN A TIE DOWN SYSTEM FOR TYING WALL BOARD AND THE LIKE TO A VEHICLE HAVING A FLAT DECK, AN UPWARDLY OPENING RETAINING CHANNEL EXTENDING ALONG EACH SIDE OF SAID DECK AND RECESSED THEREIN AND HAVING A BOTTOM WEB, PARALLEL SPACED LEGS EXTENDING UPWARDLY THEREFROM AND INTURNED RETAINING FLANGES EXTENDING FOR THE LENGTH OF SAID LEGS, A SERIES OF TIE DOWN ANCHORING DEVICES MOUNTED IN SAID CHANNELS FOR ADJUSTABLE MOVEMENT THEREALONG AND FOR VERTICAL MOVEMENT WITH RESPECT THERETO, INTO PRIMARY ANCHORING POSITIONS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BOTTOMS OF SAID FLANGES, FLEXIBLE TIE DOWNS ATTACHED TO SAID TIE DOWN ANCHORING DEVICES AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND OVER THE LOAD ON THE VEHICLE AND BRING SAID TIE DOWN ANCHORING DEVICES INTO THEIR PRIMARY ANCHORING POSITIONS IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE BOTTOMS OF SAID FLANGES, LOCKING MEANS BETWEEN SAID TIE DOWN ANCHORING DEVICES AND SAID FLANGES FOR HOLDING SAID TIE DOWN ANCHORING DEVICES IN POSITION IN SAID CHANNELS, A SERIES OF DOORS EXTENDING ALONG SAID RETAINING CHANNELS IN SIDE BY SIDE RELATION WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER FOR THE LENGTH THEREOF, MEANS HINGING SAID DOORS TO SAID RETAINING CHANNELS ALONG THE INNER SIDES OF SAID CHANNELS AND THE OUTER SIDES OF SAID DECK, SAID RETAINING CHANNELS FORMING STORAGE SPACES FOR SAID TIE DOWN ANCHORING DEVICES AND THE FLEXIBLE TIE DOWNS ATTACHED THERETO, SAID DOORS BEING MOVABLE DOWNWARDLY TO COVER SAID CHANNELS AND TO ACCOMMODATE THE LOADING OF WALL BOARD THEREOVER ONTO THE FLAT DECK OF THE VEHICLE, AND BEING MOVABLE UPWARDLY ALONG OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE LOAD TO FORM A GUIDE FOR THE LOAD ON THE INNER SIDES OF SAID DOORS, WHEN IN THEIR UPWARDLY PIVOTED POSITIONS, AND TO FORM GUIDES FOR SAID FLEXIBLE TIE DOWNS EXTENDING UPWARDLY ALONG THE OUTER SIDES OF SAID DOORS, SAID DOORS BEING RETAINED IN THEIR UPWARD POSITIONS AROUND THE LOAD BY SAID FLEXIBLE TIE DOWNS UPON THE TAKING UP OF TENSION IN SAID FLEXIBLE TIE DOWNS, TO RETAIN THE LOAD AGAINST LATERALLY SHIFTING MOVEMENT AND TO PROTECT THE LOAD FROM SAID FLEXIBLE TIE DOWNS. 